Drying and stretching frame for lace curtains.



PATENTED APR. 19, 1904.

G. F. HULLINGS. DRYING AND STRETCHING FRAME FOR LACE CURTAINS.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.1, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

4: mms sans ca, pHoro-UNO msnmmiw u r UNTTEE STATES Patented April 19,1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

DRYING AND STRETCHING FRAME FOR LACE CURTAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,930, dated April19, 12042, i

pplication led October l, 1903.

To @ZZ 1071/0112, 1115 may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. HULLiNes, a citizen of the United States,residingat Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented newand useful Improvements in Drying and Stretching Frames for LaceCurtains, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to drying-frames for lace curtains; and one of theobjects of the same is to provide a frame with means for accurateadjustment to accommodate curtains of diderent sizes.

Another object is to provide means whereby the curtain will be equallystretched both longitudinally and transversely, and still another objectis to provide a frame which may be readily taken apart for packing andshipping and which can be readily put together by an unskilled person. v

One of the defects of drying-frames as heretofore constructed is that noprovision is made for indicating the places at which the pins or hooksshould be located in order that the curtain when dry should be uniformlystretched both longitudinally and transversely. My frame is providedwith graduations or indicating-marks which insure a perfect adjustmentof the sliding bars and also indicatey the points at which the pins orhooks should be placed in order that the curtain shall be equallystretched.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of adrying-frame made in accordance with my invention and showing a curtainon the frame in position for drying. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on theline 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail section taken on the line 3 3,Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa side View of the hook or pin which I prefer to use.

Like numerals of reference designate like parts wherever they occur inthe different views'of the drawings.

As shown in the drawings, my drying-frame is made of metal tubing of therequired size, and the couplings which I use for assembling the partsmay be of the usual or ordinary kinds. j

My frame comprises the longitudinal tubes or bars 1 1 at the base, saidbars or tubes being provided with graduations or indicating- Serial No.175,354. (No model.)

marks, as shown, and being coupled at the corners of the frame by thecouplings. 2 2. The end bars 3 3 at the base are also connected to thecouplings 2 2. The frame is preferably mounted upon rollers or casters 44 in order that it may loe easily moved about. The upper longitudinalbars 5 5 are also graduated, as shown, and are connected at the cornersby couplings 6 6 and spaced apart by the end bars 7 7. The upper andlower parts of the frame are connected at the corners by the uprightcorner posts or bars 8 8, and these bars or posts are also provided withsuitable graduation-marks, as shown.

The longitudinal adjusting-bars 9 9 are connected at their ends toT-couplings 9X 9X, which are fitted to slide freely upon thecorner-posts 8 8, and the couplings may be rigidly secured at any pointsof adjustment by the set-screws 10 10, as will be understood. Theselongitudinal adjusting-bars 9 9 are provided with indicating-marks for apurpose which will be hereinafter referred to.

The vertical adjusting-bars 11 11 are offset, as at 12 12, in order thatindependent adjustment of the longitudinal bars 9 and the vertical bars11 may be accomplished. The ends of the vertical ad justing-bars 11 arefitted into couplings 18, which are mounted to slide upon the bars 1 and5 and may be secured in adjusted position by the thumb-screws 14.

The hooks or pins 15, Fig. 4, may be made of wire of the required gageand are formed to slide freely upon the graduated bars, as Will bereadily understood.

When curtains are to be dried upon the frame, the longitudinal bars 9and the vertical bars 11 are adjusted to conform to the size of thecurtain, the graduations upon the bars 1, 5, and 8 serving to give aperfectly accurate rectangular frame in order that the curtain will bestretched equally and will dry in rectangular form. Curtains will nothang properly if dried so that there is a greater strain exerteddiagonally of the curtain, and by means of the graduations on theframebars I can secure an exact adjustment, and the curtains when driedwill be uniformly rectangular. In order that thc strain may be equallyexerted at all points around the edge Ioo of the curtain, the pins orhooks 15 are ad" justed by means of the graduations on the bars to beequal distances apart, and thus insure uniform stretching and drying.

It will be understood that but one set ofV bars 1, 5, 8, 9, and 11 maybe used', if desired, by detaching the end bars 3 and 7; but if it isdesired to stretch curtains of different sizes both sections may beused, as the adjustments of both sections `are independent. Thisarrangement is of considerable importance Where curtains of differentsizes are to be stretched and dried at the same time and upon the sameframe.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A stretching1 and drying frame for lace curtains, comprising astationary frame, lon-i gitudinally-adjustablebars,independently-adjustable transverse bars, said adjustable bars eachhaving a graduated scale thereon, and means for securing the bars in`adjusted position.

2. A drying-frame for lace curtains, comprisin g thestationaryframe-bars having graduation-marks thereon, the sliding longitudinalbars and the independently-sliding transverse bars, said sliding barshaving gradua# tions to locate the pins or hooks to equalize the strainon the curtain.

3. A drying-frame for lace curtains, comprising the stationary frame,adjustable lonlgitudinal bars, independently-adjustable offto thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORG-E F. HULLINGS. Witnesses:

ALBERT PoPKINs, FLOYD E. DAvIs.

